Archbishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing said he was “grateful to the Lord” for his visit to the Diocese of Hong Kong on 13-15 November.
The 58-year-old archbishop, who heads the state-sponsored Chinese Patriotic Chinese Association, was invited by the Bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, who had visited Beijing in April.
Archbishop Li Shan said he was impressed by “the development of the Church in Hong Kong, from which we can learn a lot” and said he wanted “to take this experience home and work hard to ensure that the Catholic Church in Beijing grows for the better”.
He encouraged everyone “regardless of the difficulties we encounter, to remain faithful and full of gratitude to the Lord, always praising God”.
The visit is the first trip to Hong Kong by a bishop from the Chinese mainland since the former British colony was returned to China in 1997. It prompted fears among some Catholics that Beijing wants tighter control over religious affairs in Hong Kong.
In remarks to a theological conference titled “The Synodal Church and the Church in China: communion, participation, mission”, Archbishop Li Shan emphasised the need to combine the Catholic faith and Chinese culture more closely. The Church ought “to be able to promote the work of evangelisation and spirituality along the direction of ‘sinicisation’”, he said.
The visit began with the joint celebration of Vespers in the diocesan curia chapel, followed by an exchange of gifts. Archbishop Li Shan gave Cardinal Chow a stained-glass image of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, while the cardinal presented in return an image of Saints Peter and Paul, painted on a white wooden panel.
The next day the Beijing delegation visited the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception as well as the Chapel of the Chinese Martyrs to commemorate missionaries who brought the Gospel to China. They then visited the Holy Spirit Seminary, the Holy Spirit Study Centre and the Caritas headquarters.
On the final day, Archbishop Li Shan concelebrated a Mass in the cathedral with Cardinal Chow and Cardinal John Tong, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong. Li Shan expressed emotion at the occasion.
Another concelebrant was Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang of Zhoucun in mainland China, who participated in the Synod on Synodality held in Rome in October. Bishop Yang said he had been “honoured” to have participated in the Synod and to have “the opportunity to speak about my journey of faith and at the same time listen to others”.
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